Camping In The Woods
by animal8
Summary: When a camping trip turns into a disaster, Steve and Jesse will have to think fast if they want to survive. seventh chapter! more drama coming up! :
1. Chapter 1

Camping In The Woods

Part 1

Steve Sloan walked into the hospital in the early hours of the morning. He was supposed to meet Jesse here 10 minutes ago; he hoped his friend wouldn't be too annoyed with him.

"Steve!" Jesse's jubilant voice greeted him upon entering the doctor's lounge. He looked up at the detective with a huge grin on his face, he was so eager to begin their little camping trip.

"Hey, Jess," Steve greeted him in return. "Sorry I'm late, had to finish up some stuff".

The young doctor merely shook the matter aside. "No problem, Steve," Jesse told the other man.

"Are you ready to go now?" Steve asked, enjoying the other man's exuberance.

Jesse nodded ecstatically. "Absolutely," even as he spoke, he was making his way towards the exit.

Steve shook his head and followed him out, smiling.

Soon, they were packed and on the road. The reserve they were heading to was some 4 hours journey away and Steve had a feeling that Jesse would be pestering him long before then.

As it happened, he was wrong about his friend. Jesse was completely enraptured by the sights around him and spent most of the time practically glued to the window.

"Hey, Steve, look over there," Jesse cried excitedly as they got their first glimpse of the reserve that would be their home for the coming days. Steve looked to where he was pointing and smiled.

"Get used to it, Jess," he told his friend, "that's where we're staying".

"I don't think I could ever get used to that," the younger man said, completely awestruck by the astounding view. Steve nodded in agreement as he, too, took in their new surroundings.

Finally they arrived at the entrance to the reserve and, by the laws in force there, left their car at the main entrance. "Got all your stuff, Jess?" Steve checked as he saw the other man adjusting the straps on his bag.

"All set," Jesse said, hauling his bag onto his back.

Steve had to try not to laugh at the comical sight of his small friend carrying a rucksack that practically dwarfed him. "Jess, you'll never be able to carry that all the way to where we're going," he said as he walked away into the forest.

"I will too, you wait and see," Jesse challenged, following behind Steve.

Admittedly, after hiking for over an hour, Jesse was beginning to feel the strain. But, stubborn as he was, he refused to ask Steve to rest. The detective, though, seemed to sense his friend's exhaustion, for he turned to face him and said, "I think this is far enough, why don't we pitch here for the night?"

Jesse smiled gratefully at the older man and nodded in agreement.

Steve put the tent up and sent Jesse to look for firewood, accusing him of being clumsy and saying he would only get in his way. Still, Jesse had done as he was told eagerly enough.

The tent was up and ready when the doctor came back. "Hey, Jess, what d'you think?" Steve asked as soon as the younger man emerged from between the trees.

Jesse looked up and appraised his friend's handiwork. "Not bad," he said, moving a full circle around the tent, "will it hold the night?" A mischievous smile lit up his face.

Steve playfully swatted at his head, but Jesse easily dodged out of the way. Unfortunately, while committing the manoeuvre he caught his foot on a branch and ended up flat on his face.

He sat up shakily and found Steve at his side. "You alright, Jess?" he checked.

"Yeah, just bruised," Jesse replied, excepting Steve's aid in getting up. "Thanks," the doctor said gratefully.

"No problem," the older man answered, amiably. "Now, what d'ya say we unpack and get some food cooking?" Steve asked of his friend.

The mere mention of food was enough to catch Jesse's attention. The young doctor looked up at the older man, saying, "food did you say?"

Steve could only shake his head in exasperation before taking the lead to preparing a fire. Jesse hovered impatiently nearby, occasionally asking how long he would be. "Jesse, why don't you help out a little and go unpack our stuff," Steve finally said, having become increasingly irritated with his friend's relentless pacing.

"Sure, Steve," Jesse agreed, relieved at having been given a task to distract his mind from the prospect of food.

When the last item had been unpacked and settled into their shelter, Jesse returned to the fire, which had burnt down to low embers. Steve was now busy cooking a meal of what Jesse could only assume was some sort of stew.

His stomach growled, reawakened by the aromas being sent up from the cooking pot, and he tried to quell his rising eagerness to fill it with their first camping meal. Steve had promised him with an all out wilderness experience, and although he hadn't expected to be eating wilderness food, he found he was keen to try something new; especially as it was food.

Finally, Steve moved to grab the two bowls that had been left out in preparation for their meal. Jesse, seeing this, sat forward eagerly. The detective had been watching for his friend's reaction and smiled fondly, idly wondering if he was prepared to take care of the other man's famous appetite for the duration of their trip.

"Here you go, Jess," Steve said, passing him a bowl of the steaming stew, "tuck yourself into that".

Without a word, Jesse snatched the proffered bowl and took a cautious sip. His features lit up with pure delight at the multiple sensations that warred for his attention. "This is brilliant, Steve!" he exclaimed, excitedly.

Steve smiled warmly. "I'm glad you think so, Jess, 'cause there's plenty more where that came from". He continued to watch as Jesse rolled his eyes in pleasure, before starting on his own bowl.

With a contented sigh, Jesse sat back, having satisfied his hunger on three full bowls of the delicious stew. "Had enough have we?" Steve commented dryly.

Jesse nodded, not detecting the note of amusement on the older man's tone. "This is going to be the best holiday ever," he said with certainty, as he and Steve cleared away the dishes, washing them thoroughly before packing them neatly away again.

They had no idea how wrong they were.

-

Author's Note: Woo Hoo! New story! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten my other obligation, but I needed a change. Read, review, enjoy, but don't forget to let me knowwhat you think!

Bye for now!!


	2. Chapter 2

Camping In The Woods

Part 2

Steve and Jesse lay stretched out side by side, staring up at the clear night sky. "Wow, Steve," Jesse spoke with awe, "have you ever seen so many stars like that?"

"Yes, Jesse," Steve responded, "you forget that I do this quite a lot". He looked at his friend, whose eyes were wide with wonder, and smiled.

"I wish I could do this more often," Jesse said slowly.

"Well, if you want, I could take you along again," Steve offered.

The younger man looked at him incredulously. "Are you kidding? I'd love to come again!" he exclaimed.

Steve's smile broadened. His young friend's enthusiasm never ceased to amaze him. "It's getting late, Jess, what you say we turn in?" he asked.

Instead of answering, Jesse let out a jaw-cracking yawn. Steve chuckled, "I'll take that as a yes". The younger man looked about to formulate some sort of retort, then decided against it.

The two of them crawled into their sleeping bags and were soon fast asleep.

The following morning, Steve was awoken by a crash and a simultaneous cry which he instantly recognized as Jesse's. With a groan that was mostly borne of annoyance, Steve hauled himself out of the tent into the half-light of early morning.

"Jesse?" he called hesitantly.

"Over here," came the weak reply.

Steve felt concern blooming in his chest as he followed his friend's voice. "Jess?" he asked when he reached a small ledge that was scattered with recently broken branches. The source of the crash, he assumed.

"Down here, Steve," Jesse called up from where he was lying, four foot down, having slipped from the ledge. Around him more splintered branches lay, evidence of his attempt to prevent his inevitable fall.

"Are you OK?" Steve asked as he clambered down to assess his friend's condition.

Jesse eased himself into a sitting position, carefully testing and experimenting with movement. "I'm alright, Steve," he assured the concerned man.

"Just more bruises, hey?" Steve said callously.

"Yeah, something like that," Jesse winced as he gently lifted himself to his feet. The detective walked to his side and supported him as he hobbled up the slope back to their tent.

"Anything broken, do you think?" Steve asked once he had seated Jesse on the grass where they had lain the night before.

"No," Jesse told him, "just winded myself a bit". He knew how to read people and he could see that the older man wasn't entirely convinced. "I'm OK, Steve, really," he pressed.

"Alright, just…take it easy, Jess," Steve said as he collected a water flask from their tent and handed it to the other man. Jesse drank gratefully, sating his thirst.

He must have dozed off, for the next thing he knew he was jerking awake. "You drifted off on me there. You sure you don't have a concussion or something?" Steve scrutinized the figure in front of him closely.

Jesse rolled his eyes. "Yes, Steve. Who's the doctor here, anyway?" he asked with mild annoyance.

"Alright, Jess," Steve said at last, "what were you doing anyway?"

Now the younger man had the grace to look a bit sheepish. "Well…uh…you see I…uh…was just curious. I went to have a look around," he admitted.

"Ah," the amusement was evident in his voice. There was a contented pause between them, before Steve decided to change the subject. "So, you up for some breakfast?" he asked.

"Am I ever!" was his ecstatic response.

-

Author's Note: second chapter, yey! Hope your enjoying this story so far, keep reviewing and bye for now!!


	3. Chapter 3

Camping In The Woods

Part 3

Steve opted for a more traditional breakfast, choosing to cook sausage, egg and bacon for the both of them instead. Jesse appeared at his elbow at that moment, nose twitching appreciatively.

"Something I can do for you, Jess?" Steve asked.

"Nah, I'm good," the young doctor replied, clearly preoccupied.

The detective observed his friend as he surreptitiously slipped a hand out to gently push the other man back, issuing a warning about getting too close to the fire. Jesse nodded vacantly, prompting a concerned Steve to question, "are you alright?"

A characteristic Jesse smile lit up his face, easing the older man's tension. However, a frown quickly replaced it as he noticed a small blossom of blood appearing on Jesse's shirt.

"Jess, are aware that you're bleeding?" he asked as his frown deepened.

Jesse looked startled at that. "What? Where?" he twisted to look himself over and spotted the blood for himself. Taking care not to reopen the wound, he rolled the sleeve of his shirt up to reveal a nasty looking gash.

"I thought you said you weren't hurt," Steve complained as he fetched the first aid kit from their tent.

"I didn't think I was," the other man answered, somewhat petulantly. He accepted the bandage that Steve handed him as he set about cleaning the wound. "It's not very deep," he informed the other man, whilst at the same time gently probing and assessing himself.

Steve smiled, somewhat relieved, though he had been fairly sure it had not been serious it had still worried him. He pushed the matter from his mind as he turned back to the traditional breakfast he was in the process of cooking. Jesse quickly joined him, plate held in front, silently begging to be filled.

Chuckling, Steve granted his friend some of the eagerly awaited meal, carefully piling the plate full. He hoped that would fill Jesse, at least for the time being.

Filling his own plate, he listened to the contented noises coming from his friend's chosen perch, in a spot bathed in the early morning sun. They ate in silence, each enjoying the peace and tranquillity of the forest.

A sharp crack echoed through the forest, breaking the silence. Steve was instantly alert. He jumped to his feet, ears straining.

"Perhaps it was just a wild animal?" Jesse asked hopefully.

"Don't think so, Jess," Steve answered. "Sounded more like a gunshot," he looked at his friend, "stay here". He shot Jesse a stern look, willing the other man to listen to him. Jesse nodded sensibly.

Satisfied, Steve drew his gun and moved cautiously in the direction of the shot. Jesse watched him, longingly. He always wondered what it would be like to be involved in such excitement.

He was about to find out.

The longer Steve was gone, the more nervous Jesse became. He wished the detective was there with him. A sudden noise from somewhere behind distracted him for his thoughts. The young doctor began to shiver with fear and he tried to remain as still as possible even as he cowered lower to the ground.

A presence next to him caused Jesse to stiffen. He felt something; he didn't dare think what, being pressed against his temple. A whimper escaped past his lips before he could do anything to prevent it.

A sharp hiss told him of his captor's annoyance even as a rough grip found his arm and yanked him up. Unsteadily he rose, grappling to keep his feet on the floor. Reflexively he turned to catch a glimpse of whoever was holding him only to have a knee raised into his side.

Doubling up in pain, he could just about hear the warning his abuser gave him. "Try that again," he said, for it was undeniably a man's voice, "and you'll get a lot worse than that". There was a pause before he added, "keep your mouth shut as well, 'less you want me to put a bullet in ya'".

Jesse gulped and nodded minutely, making sure to keep any more strained whimpers in check. His captor seemed satisfied with that, for he now ordered the young doctor forward, in the direction Steve had headed earlier.

He hoped they would run into Steve so the detective could help him out of this mess. As soon as he thought that he regretted it, knowing that his friend would be forced to surrender and become another prisoner. There was no doubt in his mind that Steve would give in; he would do anything to keep his young friend safe.

As they moved deeper into the woods, Jesse caught a glimpse of a familiar shirt and groaned inwardly, so as not to notify his captor to the other man's presence. His efforts were pointless, however, as he realized he had already spotted him; had in fact been expecting him.

"Now," a harsh voice whispered in his ear, close enough for the hot breath to be blown into his face, "you are going to approach alone and hold his attention for me". Jesse's heart leapt; maybe this was his chance to warn Steve. That hope was quickly crushed with the kidnapper's next words. "If you try anything, anything at all, I will shoot you and your friend on the spot".

Jesse faltered at the thought of bringing his best friend into this trouble. His reluctance must have shown, for he was shoved rudely in the back. Taking the hint he stepped hesitantly forward.

"Steve," he called, so as not to alarm the other man unduly. All the same Steve spun around in shock at the sound of his friend's slightly shaky voice.

"Jesse!" Steve hissed; his annoyance at being disobeyed yet again evident in his tone. "I thought I told you to stay at the camp site," he added with a groan.

"S-sorry, Steve," Jesse stuttered, "got s-scared". It wasn't exactly a lie as he was petrified at the moment.

The detective frowned at the stutter in the other man's voice. Indeed Jesse did look terrified and he briefly wondered what had caused that. A moment later he had his answer.

There was the distinct click of a gun behind him and a low voice that said, "place the gun on the ground, slowly".

With a low growl and a glance at his now extremely guilty looking friend, Steve complied. He was aware of more movement off to his left and, as he turned, saw someone else emerge, followed by a third person.

Quiet muttering followed the arrival of the other two and Steve hazarded a guess that these were accomplices. He desperately wanted to talk to Jesse but didn't want to risk either of them being caught.

"Alright, come with us," someone said all of a sudden. Two people placed themselves behind Steve and Jesse, while the third took the front and led the way to wherever they were going.

-

Author's Note: chapter 3, yey! let me know how you think its going, any improvements to make etc. bye for now!!


	4. Chapter 4

Camping In The Woods

Part 4

After nearly half an hour of walking through the forest, Steve was becoming really worried about Jesse. The young doctor was increasingly unsteady on his feet and he hoped they would stop soon for his sake.

Jesse tried to give Steve a reassuring smile, only to lose his balance and trip, landing with a heavy thump and a muffled shout. Before the detective could react, the lead guy stepped up to the younger man and kicked him viciously in the side.

Steve's heart lurched as his best friend cried out in agony. He was helpless to do anything, restrained as he was by a hand firmly clamped around his arm.

The lead guy signalled to whoever had been in charge of Jesse. A man, not much older than Jesse was, stepped forward and roughly pulled said person to his feet.

Steve caught a glimpse of Jesse's pain and terror filled expression before they were pushed forward. Finally, much to the relief of everyone, they reached a small cabin that was set in the deepest part of the reserve.

"Put them in the back and lock the door," the lead guy ordered, obviously having no respect for those who work for him.

Steve grunted as he was thrown rudely into a back room and tried to ignore Jesse's own hiss of pain. Then they were alone, the door firmly bolted behind them.

It was quiet; the only sound was their ragged breathing. Steve was the first to find his voice. "Jess?" he called, his worry increased as he received no answer. "Jesse!" he tried again.

Through the roaring in his ears, Jesse was aware of a concerned voice calling his name and reluctantly pulled himself away from the edges of unconsciousness. "St…ve," he rasped.

The cop breathed a silent sigh of relief, before reminding himself they weren't out of the woods yet. "How are you?" he asked then winced at the stupidity of the question.

"Um…I'm…I'm OK," the younger man answered, unable to hide the quiver in his voice.

Steve hated himself for having to question his friend like this, but he needed to know what had happened. "How did they get you?" he asked cautiously.

Jesse in-took a shivery breath before answering. "Um…he-he found me at the campsite," he really didn't find it necessary to go into any more detail and hoped Steve wouldn't ask him any more.

The older man closed his eyes in dismay as he realized that what he had done to protect his friend had actually put him in more danger. Thankfully, he seemed to understand what Jesse wanted for he didn't question him further.

"I'm sorry, Jess," Steve murmured, contritely. Damn it! I should have kept him with me, he thought, maybe then we wouldn't be in this mess.

"Wasn't your fault, Steve," Jesse said, still gasping for breath.

"I shouldn't have left you unprotected," the older man protested.

"You…couldn't have known…what was going to happen," the young doctor's voice trailed into silence. He was so tired and the adrenaline rush was now wearing off, leaving him sore and shaking.

Steve heard the tell tale weakness in the other man's tone and started in alarm. He scooted over to sit beside Jesse and gently rustled his shoulder. "Hey, stay with me, Jess," he muttered, worriedly.

The blue eyes fluttered open and focussed blearily on him. Steve smiled encouragingly at him whilst trying to hide the renewed concern when he felt the infinite small tremors running through his friend's body.

"Need to sleep," Jesse murmured, looking pleadingly at the detective.

Steve chewed his lip anxiously. He needed to make a decision; he just hoped he wouldn't regret it. "OK, Jess," he said slowly, "just for a little bit."

The older man struggled into a position where he could support his friend's head. Jesse mumbled his thanks as he snuggled into the detective's warm side.

Steve watched protectively over his young friend, hoping that help would arrive soon before they ended up in even more trouble.

Some hours later, Steve sat up, alert, as he felt Jesse stir against him. "Hey there, Sleepyhead," he said amiably.

Much to his relief, Jesse grinned up at him with his usual sparkle back in his eyes. "Hey to you too," he greeted back. His smile faltered, however, when he remembered where they were.

"Oh man!" he groaned, "tell me I had some horrible dream."

Steve grimaced. "'fraid not, pal," he said, before adding, "right about the horrible part, though."

The young doctor groaned again then gingerly pushed himself into a sitting position. He winced as his sore ribs pulled, making their presence known.

Steve noticed his discomfort and was prompted to ask "are you Ok?" to which the younger man answered with a sarcastic "never been better."

"Just bruises," Jesse continued to reassure his concerned friend.

Steve snorted inelegantly. "You seem to get a lot of those don't you, Jess," he commented, dryly.

Jesse, having no suitable retort to that, merely shrugged none committed. "I-I'm sorry, Steve," he stuttered.

The other man turned to him in surprise. "You have nothing to feel sorry about, Jess," he injected as much sincerity as he could into that simple statement, knowing it would take a lot to get his friend off his self perceived guilt.

"Yes, I do," he snapped back surprising even himself. Calming himself, he explained, "he made me distract you, so he could trap you." He hung his head in shame at the memory of what he had been made to do.

As he watched his friend's behaviour, Steve wondered how he was going to convince the other man that he wasn't to blame. "It wasn't your fault any more than it was mine," told the younger man.

Jesse looked up and hesitantly met his gaze. "You mean that?" he asked shakily.

Steve smiled genuinely. "Of course I do, silly," he chastised, "I wouldn't have said it otherwise."

The blonde doctor flashed him a bright grin, saying gratefully, "thanks, Steve."

"What are friends for, hey?" Steve said, still smiling at Jesse's innocence. The smaller man had never considered he was worth anything. His friendship was offered freely and completely and he never wanted anything in return.

-

Author's Note: Yey, another chapter! I know it took me a little while, but bare in mind that for some strange reason I have decided to work on three fanfocs at the same time!! Plus, in only a couple of months I have yet more exams, woohoo (sarcastic). So I have plenty of revision to do as well. Anyway, I hope you're all still enjoying this, please keep reviewing, I really appreciate all of your support. And bye for now!! :-)


	5. Chapter 5

Camping In The Woods

Part 5

Their conversation was abruptly cut short at the arrival of two of the 'gangsters' who had taken them hostage. The lead guy was closely followed by a tall, wiry figure, which Steve vaguely recognized as the one who had guided him to the cabin.

"Get comfortable," the shorter figure said, gruffly, "'cuz you're gonna be here awhile." It was a simple statement; nothing more, nothing less.

With a gesture neither friend could decipher, the lead guy signalled the other man. "You know what to do, Bill," he said. He left the room without another word as his buddy moved cautiously forward.

Steve could see he was going to Jesse first and watched him warily as he desperately thought of a way to distract the other guy's attention. "You sure you wanna do this, Bill?" he asked, immediately kicking into 'cop' mode.

"We don't won't to hurt no one," the wiry man answered, "we're just gonna finish our business here an' move on."

Steve's eyes narrowed at the possible implications for what he meant by the word 'business'. Instead he latched onto the first question that had come to mind. "If you don't want to hurt anyone, then why are we here?"

"We didn't want you stumbling on what we was doing," Bill answered, his tone making it clear that he was answering no more questions.

The detective wisely kept his mouth shut; he didn't want to antagonise the bloke, especially with his best friend at risk as well. Bill continued his way toward Jesse and it was then that he noticed the rope clasped in his fist.

"I don't want no trouble," Steve heard him say quietly to Jesse. "Jus' keep still an' I promise I won't hurt ya."

Whether or not Jesse believed him was irrelevant because he had no choice in the matter. Compliantly, the young doctor turned and allowed the larger man to bind his wrists, wincing now and again as the coarse rope bit into his skin.

Even from his distance, Steve could see that Jesse was trembling. He was obviously terrified but trying to put up a brave front and Steve admired him for that.

Next it was the taciturn detective's turn and he followed his friend's example, allowing his hands to be tied behind his back in the same fashion as Jesse's. As Bill left, Steve could have sworn he caught the guy flash an apologetic smile in their direction.

With him gone, Steve moved back to his friend's side; his movements awkward and clumsy. Jesse, unbalanced as he was, had slipped to the side and now struggled to right himself.

He dragged himself to the wall and, with an effort and the added support, managed to sit up. Once that was done, he found Steve again at his side.

Steve studied his friend whilst surreptitiously helping to prop him up. "What are we going to do, Steve?" Jesse asked; his tone hushed.

The older man found he didn't have an answer to that question. "Just sit tight, Jess, if what they said is true, they'll let us go when they're done," Steve told him, trying to keep the uncertainty out of his voice.

Jesse's eyes widened at that. "You're gonna let them get away? They're the bad guys!" he protested.

Steve shook his head. "No, I'm not," he assured, "but while they have us, there's little I can do".

The blonde haired doctor seemed to consider that for a moment. Slowly, he nodded. "Then once we get away, you can track them down again?" Jesse checked.

A grin split Steve's face. He knew, of course, how perceptive the younger man could be, but the evidence still had the power to amaze him. "That's the plan".

The door opened once again and this time all three of their captors entered. Bill and the shorter bloke took places beside Steve and Jesse again, pairing up as they had done on their journey here.

"We're going to take a little trip out," the lead guy said.

Steve, a deep sense of foreboding building, glanced at the other two men. Bill looked distinctly uncomfortable. His suspicions were confirmed when Bill suddenly said, "I thought we weren't going to hurt anyone, Justin".

If looks could kill, poor Bill would be dead twice over as two mutinous glares were sent in his direction. Justin, the lead guy, visibly collected himself and turned to his accomplice.

"I told you, Bill," he said, glancing at the other member of their team, "we need to do this. Otherwise, we ain't gonna get away from here".

Steve sensed, rather than saw, Bill's reluctant nod. He was also aware of Jesse's increasing alarm as he realised what was about to happen. The detective warned him with a slight shake of the head to keep his mouth shut.

Jesse, trusting his friend completely, stilled the outburst he had been about to release.

"Kenny, Bill," Justin nodded to each in turn as they pulled their captives to their feet. He turned and led the way back out of the hiker's cabin.

"Where are you taking us?" Jesse asked tremulously, ignoring the look Steve shot at him.

Justin glanced over his shoulder at them, considering whether to answer. "There's a lovely lake nearby, quite a nice fishing spot, if you ask me," he said plainly.

Jesse gulped; they were going to be drowned in a lake! He wavered on his feet, but a firm grip from Kenny kept him from falling again.

-

Author's Note: Hey guys!! I got the fifth chapter for you, hope you enjoyed it and stay tuned, there's a lot more to come. Hang in there and bye for now!! :-)


	6. Chapter 6

Camping In The Woods

Part 6

This didn't bode well for them, Steve thought. This guy obviously didn't think much of killing them, judging by the nonchalant manner in which he talked about it. He caught his friend's terror stricken expression and tried to convey some strength to him.

The young doctor was smart enough to know that if they didn't think of something fast, they were going to be fish food. He hoped that Steve had a plan of some sort.

As it happened, one was being formulated. Steve had managed to find a weakness in his bonds and glanced quickly to see if anyone was paying attention to him. Thankfully, the gang members obviously didn't see him as much of a threat, with his hands bound.

Subtly, he worked the rope with his wrists, feeling a sense of elation as they loosened minutely. They had reached the bank of the lake by the time Steve was able to slip his hands through the gap he had created.

Taking the advantage of surprise, Steve lunged at Kenny, who had a gun held up to Jesse. Both men went down, leaving a stunned Jesse standing agape, trying to follow the sudden turn of events.

Kenny landed hard, receiving a blow to the head that rendered him unconscious. Instinct taking over, Steve grabbed the gun from the still hand of its owner.

He leapt back up and placed himself between his friend and their enemies, aiming the gun at Justin's chest.

The other man actually smirked at the detective, causing him to narrow his eyes and regard him suspiciously. With a swift move, he darted forward, drawing a small pistol as he went, and fired off a single shot.

Steve felt the heat as the bullet whizzed past him and his blood froze as he heard Jesse's scream of pain from behind him. He spun around in time to see his young friend fly backward with the force of the impact and land in the lake, his head disappearing beneath the murky water.

"_Jesse!_" he screamed as panic flared to the fore. Steve desperately hoped to see the blonde head breach the surface, but realised that with his hands still tied, Jesse wouldn't have been able to swim even without the added bullet wound.

Steve didn't spare a thought for the escaping felons, instead focussing on the friend who desperately needed his help. Only sparing enough time to kick off his shoes and remove his jacket before he dived in close to where Jesse had fallen.

It was several despairing moments before Steve was able to latch onto the soft bundle that was Jesse's small frame. Clinging on to him, Steve struggled to keep the younger man's head above water as he dragged them both to the bank.

Soon he had Jesse on firm ground once again and quickly removed the ropes. Checking his vitals, Steve's heart almost stopped as he discovered that Jesse wasn't breathing and he couldn't find a pulse.

"Don't do this, Jesse," the older man pleaded, shifting him onto his back.

Putting his mouth over his friend's own cold one, he administered a breath. He started CPR, locking his hands over the still chest. All the while he muttered to himself. "Come on, Jess," he said, "don't give up now. You can't leave us like this".

There were tears in his eyes as he administered a second breath. Relief washed over him as Jesse choked up the water he had swallowed. Steve shifted the younger man onto his side, rubbing his back soothingly to help revive him.

When he felt Jesse relax he carefully turned him onto his back again, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest.

Next, Steve turned to the neat, round bullet hole, which pierced his left shoulder. The wound looked deep and was still bleeding profusely. He shucked off his jacket and bundled it together to press firmly against the injury.

Jesse turned his head to the side and his eyelids fluttered. It was clear that he was on the verge of consciousness. "St…eve," he croaked.

"It's OK, Jess," he heard through the fog in his mind, "you're going to be fine".

Blue eyes opened and peered blearily up at him. Steve offered him a somewhat shaky smile, though he doubted whether Jesse recognized the gesture in his dazed state.

Steve retrieved his jacket from where he had thrown it and was eternally grateful that his cell had been hidden in one of his many pockets and had not been discovered when they were searched. Now he pulled it from his pocket, dialled for an ambulance and quickly reported the situation.

He knew it would be a while before the helicopter sent to their location would arrive, so it was his responsibility to keep Jesse alive until then.

-

Author's Note: OMG!! I know its been such a long time and I'm so sorry for any of you who have been trying to follow this story, but i wanted to get these next parts right and I hope my extra time has been worth it :) It should be a bit more dramatic in the next couple of chapters, so please keep reading and reviewing! Bye for now :)

READ!!!

Someone has pointed out a bit of a plot hole with this chapter and does raise an interesting point (you can read it in the reviews). I guess it could use a bit of imagination to think about it because I didn;t make it clear what was going through the minds of the criminals at the time. The thing was, what they had done (I'll reveal that later) was not something to get caught over, you probably figured that out, so they decided once Steve had the advantage to take no chances and so took off, yes at the cost of one of their own, but it still meant that two of three got away. I hope this clears some things up. Feel free to email and ask!! :)


	7. Chapter 7

Camping In The Woods

Part 7

The younger man groaned as the pain finally became more than he could suppress. Jesse focussed his eyes on the detective looming over him and then he remembered what had happened.

He struggled to sit up and found himself being pushed back down by Steve. "Where…are they?" the younger man asked between gasps.

Steve sighed. "They're gone, Jess," he said, "now just keep still, will you?"

Jesse's lips quirked upwards, in a small smile, as he nodded. He tried not to notice the concern and fear etched in his friend's features; he knew he was in a bad way. Not only did he have a bullet wound that was still pouring blood, but he was cold, wet and starting to shiver.

It was partly because of shock, of course, but he knew he was also at risk of getting pneumonia or hypothermia, especially if help didn't arrive soon.

Steve was thinking about the same thing as he watched Jesse shivering. He wished that he had something he could use to help his young friend. He hated seeing Jesse in so much pain.

Nearly 15 minutes had gone by and Jesse was close to passing out again. "Stay with me, Jess," Steve muttered, worriedly, "come on, I know you can do it. Don't give in now, Jesse, _please!_"

The distinct whirr of rota blades was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. Help had arrived and just in time as Jesse's waning strength gave out on him and he slipped into the awaiting abyss.

It was a short ride to Community General, but for Steve Sloan, it was the longest ride in his entire life. Jesse was shivering uncontrollably now, and with the blood loss it was becoming increasingly hard to keep him stabilized.

There was one panic stricken moment - while Steve had been holding the limp hand – in which the faint line that marked Jesse's weak heartbeat had suddenly morphed into a terrifyingly straight line.

It had taken several tense moments before the EMT s had been able to establish a rhythm once more. Steve had been openly relieved as the reassuring beep of the monitor returned.

When they finally arrived at the hospital, Mark met the gurney with all the horror one would expect. "What have we got," he demanded as they guided the patient into an available trauma room.

"Bullet to the left shoulder, severe haemorrhaging, verging on hypovolaemic shock and the patient was exposed to freezing water for a length of time," was the paramedic's succinct response.

Steve noticed the dismay that swept over the older man's features and his own worry increased. If his father looked like that, then this was very serious.

"Right, he's tachycardic," his father said, "We need to get some fluids into him, raise his BP, then can someone book an OR; we need to remove that bullet".

"Right away, doctor," one of the nurses said. It was clear from the look on her face that she was familiar with exactly who the patient was, as she moved to dial for an OR.

The nurse returned, giving Steve a sympathetic glance as she passed him, and announced, "OR 1 is available now".

"Good," Mark said, "let's move him there now". He gave his son an encouraging look and promised to keep him informed. It was all Steve could do to offer his father a nod, if he did anything more he doubted he could maintain the strenuous hold on his emotions.

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Author's Note: Sorry for the short chapter exam season is in (unfortuneately) and not had much time for writing. I would like to aske a favour of all you lot out there, though. Please save any reviews that are not relevant to this story as I do not need to know your opinion on the characters because I don't own them. Any other reviews on whether you like this, or not, or any suggestions for improvement are obviously welcome, though try not to be too harsh please. Thanks for all those who have reviewed and I hope you are still enjoying this story. Again, Please review! :)


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